Nova Scotia Power

[mikewazowski]

I spent the past few days in New Brunswick and heard activity on some conventional channels for NB.

Didn't hear anything Nova Scotia related though.

BTW, the COVID checkpoint at the Quebec/New Brunswick border is on NB EVENT 1.

 

[blacktop]

Sorry everyone for any dis-information that I may have posted. This is encouraging news...I have not heard anything yet, so I may have an SDR configuration issue. Chris, I may have to get you to give me a hand getting set up properly...

 

[hfxChris]

According to the TAFL, there should be a site in Lower Sackville, with the following frequencies: 164.265/168.195 and 165.09/167.67.
I can receive the occasional burst of data on the second frequency 165.09, which tells me the first must be the control channel, but I'm getting absolutely nothing from here on 164.265 (or 168.195). Anyone in the Sackville area able to pick up any digital noise at all on either of those frequencies?

I imagine this will be site #3, which I haven't identified yet, and which Ragged Lake (1), Scotia Square (2) and South Uniacke (5) keep showing as a neighbour.

 

[hfxChris]

Ok, I was able to get confirmation that 164.265 is active in the Sackville area with a DMR control channel. Not entirely sure why I can't hear it at all in Dartmouth!

 

[Somontoby]

I saw a post suggesting NSP may have gone encryption. Has anyone been able to get any hits to debunk this horrible news? Just bought the DMR key.

 

[ve1sef]

According to the screen on the 536, they're using a DMR T3 trunk system. I check it once and while and haven't heard anything yet.
Not sure if it's encrypted or a data only system.

 

[mciupa]

According to the screen on the 536, they're using a DMR T3 trunk system. I check it once and while and haven't heard anything yet.
Not sure if it's encrypted or a data only system.

I can tell you why you won't hear it as programmed from RadioReference. The Lead Database Manager wants us to display the Channel Identifiers from DSD+ as opposed to the LCN's that Uniden uses. We can't favour one scanner manufacturer's specification over others and must use the LSN Channel over the Uniden LCN.

What I have done for Ontario DT3 trunk systems on their trunk pages are these instructions:

To monitor this system with your Uniden scanner, go to the CH ID list. You can find that listing by clicking on the different Site Names.

A channel menu will appear. Subtract one (-1) from the channel ID and divide by two ( /2) This will give you the Uniden LCN.

Modify your programming with the new values and it will be monitorable with your Uniden product.

Let's use Lower Sackville for an example:

CH ID	Frequency	Color Code
137	164.265c	5
138	165.090a	5

137-1=136/2=68 Enter 68 as a LCN.

I'm not sure about that 138, I would try using your LCN Finder on the 536 for 165.09


Give this method a try and see if you can now monitor voice conversations.

 

[hfxChris]

I saw a post suggesting NSP may have gone encryption. Has anyone been able to get any hits to debunk this horrible news? Just bought the DMR key.

Good question. There's so little voice traffic on this system to begin with, it might take a while to see if any encrypted traffic pops up. But I'll try and remember to start monitoring the local site again just in case.

 

[ve1sef]

According to the screen on the 536, they're using a DMR T3 trunk system. I check it once and while and haven't heard anything yet.
Not sure if it's encrypted or a data only system.

I should had said, "possibly" encrypted , sorry for any confusion.
My theory is it's a data system for some form of mobile work station.
Although the post regarding the LCN numbers could explain why we're not hearing any traffic.

 

[hfxChris]

I should had said, "possibly" encrypted , sorry for any confusion.
My theory is it's a data system for some form of mobile work station.
Although the post regarding the LCN numbers could explain why we're not hearing any traffic.

There is voice traffic, it's just extremely infrequent. I've been monitoring the Ragged Lake site all morning with DSD+ (and the scanner monitoring as well) and have not seen a single voice call, and that's not unusual; when I was actively monitoring this system last fall, outside of an actual power outage event, I might log two or three voice 'conversations' per week during working hours.
There's definitely a lot more going on in the background though, DSD+ shows a lot of data calls going back and forth.

 

[MTouesnard]

Hello! just started monitoring a local DMR frequency on SDR# 165.555 located at the OBAN repeater site just outside St. Peter's ,NS.

The info I have as of yet is:

165.555
Current Network L8
Current Site: L8-5.7
DSD+ is showing DMR DCC:11


Also on Frequency 143.410. According to a TAFL Search it could be either a site in Creignish or Woodbine NSP Site.

143.410
Current Network L8
Current Site: L8-5.5
DMR DCC:7

 

[MTouesnard]

Frequency 158.370
Current Network L8
Current Site: L8-5.6
L8-65.6 DCC:10

This is a common Frequency for for Handhelds and other sites. my QTH is River Bourgeois NS. May have to do some digging as to the location of this site near me.

Frequency 152.450
Current Network L8
Current Site: L8-5.4
L8-5.4 DCC:4

 

[hfxChris]

Hi - looks like you're using the free version of DSD+, which doesn't accurately decode the site numbers for DMR Tier 3 trunking systems; they should show a system of L7 (not L8) and the site numbers are also not accurate. Is there any chance you can post a snippet of the log file for each of those sites, specifically showing the line that starts with: SYS_Parms: SysCode=

For reference: NS Power and DSD+

 

[MTouesnard]

Hi - looks like you're using the free version of DSD+, which doesn't accurately decode the site numbers for DMR Tier 3 trunking systems; they should show a system of L7 (not L8) and the site numbers are also not accurate. Is there any chance you can post a snippet of the log file for each of those sites, specifically showing the line that starts with: SYS_Parms: SysCode=

For reference: NS Power and DSD+

Yes I realized my mistake after noticing you're post about the free version and the Fastlane version. I went ahead and purchased the Fastlane version to fix this mistake and will update with the correct info. Sorry about that.

 

[hfxChris]

Yes I realized my mistake after noticing you're post about the free version and the Fastlane version. I went ahead and purchased the Fastlane version to fix this mistake and will update with the correct info. Sorry about that.

Awesome! It's a great piece of software, and the free version, being 5 years out of date, is missing quite a few features.

 

[MTouesnard]

Awesome! It's a great piece of software, and the free version, being 5 years out of date, is missing quite a few features.

It's a learning curve for sure. I seem to have P25 decoding down pat but I think my settings or me just doing something wrong...I'm leaning further to the doing something wrong side on decoding DMR is not going that great. Lots of errors while sitting on the control channel. I'm using it in passive control mode so that could be an issue with sending the audio from SDR#. Any pointers would be great.

 

[hfxChris]

If you're in River Bourgeois, there should be an NSPI site at Oban which should be your strongest signal. According to the TAFL, it should be transmitting on either 165.09 or 165.555, which appear to be the outputs for the two repeaters at that location.

Of the two that you mentioned, 158.37 and 152.45, I'm thinking 152.45 is likely the site at Lundy, on the mainland near Guysborough, and I'm thinking 158.37 may be a site near Port Hastings called Horton Lake in the TAFL. I would not expect a particularly strong signal on either of those from your location, and DSD+ likes a good signal.

 

[MTouesnard]

If you're in River Bourgeois, there should be an NSPI site at Oban which should be your strongest signal. According to the TAFL, it should be transmitting on either 165.09 or 165.555, which appear to be the outputs for the two repeaters at that location.

Of the two that you mentioned, 158.37 and 152.45, I'm thinking 152.45 is likely the site at Lundy, on the mainland near Guysborough, and I'm thinking 158.37 may be a site near Port Hastings called Horton Lake in the TAFL. I would not expect a particularly strong signal on either of those from your location, and DSD+ likes a good signal.

Good to know. I'm about 7km as the crow from from the Oban site. Using a wide band scanner antenna 15 feet off the ground so it helps to bring in the signals. I'll work on Oban then while at work some night in Port Hawkesbury I'll hunt for the other two.

 

[hfxChris]

If you don't mind, if you're collecting information from these sites, in addition to the site number, can you make a note of the channel numbers (which DSD+ only seems to show if there is actual traffic, voice or data calls), and the neighbour lists with their channel numbers (CC= in the neighbour list). The neighbour lists will give you the site numbers of the nearby sites, as well as the channel number that that site's control channel is transmitting on. Extremely useful when trying to map out the system.

 

[MTouesnard]

If you don't mind, if you're collecting information from these sites, in addition to the site number, can you make a note of the channel numbers (which DSD+ only seems to show if there is actual traffic, voice or data calls), and the neighbour lists with their channel numbers (CC= in the neighbour list). The neighbour lists will give you the site numbers of the nearby sites, as well as the channel number that that site's control channel is transmitting on. Extremely useful when trying to map out the system.

Not a problem. I'll post whatever I can find.